Chapter 283
A beautiful face, like that of a woman with brilliant silver hair.
In contrast, an impressive scar crossed his face diagonally.
It was Sherad!
He had survived the previous battle with Marquis Langham.
[And who are you? The heretic of the Dark Prestigious House?]
“Yes, that is correct. I have come to offer my assistance to Your Majesty, the Demon King.”
Sherad’s red lips curved into an arc.
A smile tinged with madness.
“Because it looks like it will be fun. An opportunity to enjoy a feast of blood like this doesn’t come easily.”
It was a chilling statement.
Sherad was a madman who gained pleasure from taking the lives of others.
He intended to join this affair to see blood.
“As things stand, you will face certain death.”
[How amusing. What do you take me for? Even if the three houses join forces, I will not lose.]
“Is that so? I wonder if that will still be the case with Christian around?”
The Demon King of Azure Flow’s mouth snapped shut.
It was a laughable notion.
How could a mere Christian possibly pose a threat to her, a Demon King?
But the Demon King of Azure Flow could not easily ignore Sherad’s words.
“I know you are a mighty Demon King, as does everyone else. Christian must know it well, too. But do you think he would have come without any preparations? He has surely arranged a way to bring you down.”
That was, in fact, what the Demon King of Azure Flow feared.
She was confident she wouldn’t lose, even if the three houses combined their strength.
Of course, it would be difficult for her alone, but with the elves who followed her, she was certain she could overwhelm them.
The problem was Christian.
What trick could he have possibly arranged this time?
“I will help you.”
[Hah, and how will you do that? You, an insignificant being.]
Although Sherad was a powerful magus, he was not strong enough to interfere in the coming battle between absolute beings.
“My, you don’t seem to know. That I am the possessor of the ‘Ghost-Eater’ authority.”
[!!]
The Demon King of Azure Flow flinched.
With her vast knowledge of Gehenna, she knew what the ‘Ghost-Eater’ authority was.
An authority so great that it surprised even her, a Demon King.
Sherad raised the corners of his mouth.
“Please prepare a sacrifice for the Ghost-Eater. In return, I will stop Christian.”
* * *
“All forces, advance!!”
The magi of the Dark, Destruction, and Venomous Demonic Houses gathered and began to march toward the Demon King's castle.
It was a magnificent sight, an assembly of countless magi.
Their powerful momentum pierced the heavens.
Everyone’s morale seemed to be soaring.
However, there were some who wore expressions of secret worry.
A prime example was Count Khazar.
“Are you worried about the fight with the Demon King?”
Chris asked.
For reference, Chris was currently suppressing the presence of his soul, concealing his Spiritual Pressure.
“Yes, because I don't know how many people will die.”
Given the wrongs the Demon King of Azure Flow had committed, it was an unavoidable fight.
But he couldn't help but feel heavy-hearted when he thought of the blood that would be shed.
“You don’t need to worry about that. The damage to our side will not be great.”
“What do you mean by that? Could it be?”
Count Khazar’s eyes widened as he realized Christian had a plan.
But his expression soon darkened again.
“…Even if the fight with the Demon King of Azure Flow ends safely somehow, I’m worried about what comes after. The movements of the Four Kings’ Castle are unusual.”
The Dark Demonic House’s side had also detected the suspicious movements of the Four Kings’ Castle’s army.
However, because of the current battle with the Demon King of Azure Flow, they had no way to respond and were simply watching.
But then Chris said something unexpected.
“I have something in mind for the Four Kings’ Castle as well.”
“What is it?”
“Father, why do you think I’ve gathered such a massive number of magi?”
“That’s… to fight the elves of the Black Elf Palace below, isn’t it?”
“That is one of the reasons, but think deeper.”
Count Khazar frowned.
“Where are we marching to right now?”
“Isn’t it obvious we are going to the Demon King’s Castle?”
“And where is the Demon King’s Castle located?”
“That would be on the border of the Central….”
Count Khazar, who had been answering, soon wore a look of shock.
“Don’t tell me?”
Chris simply nodded.
“You… are you mad?”
A harsh reaction burst out.
It was only natural.
If Count Khazar’s guess was correct, it was truly a mad plan.
“Father, our opponent is the Four Kings’ Castle. Unless we do something crazy, we cannot hope to defeat them.”
This was no empty statement.
Even though they had formed the Dark Alliance, they were still no match for the Four Kings’ Castle.
‘Especially since I can’t predict the movements of the current Castle Lord, Pliton.’
When Chris first heard the intelligence that the Four Kings’ Castle was preparing to raise an army, he had been quite surprised.
It was because the details were greatly different from the future he originally knew.
‘It’s been moved up by two years.’
Originally, this was the time when Idrinne would have betrayed the Blood Sword Demonic House and begun to distinguish herself.
She was supposed to march on the Southern Magus Nation only after conquering the Four Kings’ Castle through a bloody purge that took two years, but things had changed completely.
‘The problem is that I know very little about the Castle Lord, Pliton.’
At the start of the Age of Ruin, the lord of the Four Kings’ Castle had been Idrinne.
The current Castle Lord, Pliton, is killed by Idrinne after fighting with her.
‘Still, he was a formidable man. He oppressed Idrinne for a full two years, after all.’
Chris didn't know the exact details of how the power struggle within the Four Kings' Castle had unfolded.
He only knew that Idrinne had first betrayed the Blood Sword Demonic House to join the Anax faction of Curse and Necromancy, before turning against Castle Lord Pliton.
In any case, Pliton was said to have had the upper hand for most of his fight with Idrinne.
It was a surprising story.
Because at the time, Idrinne's level was low 9-Star.
Yet Pliton had, in fact, overwhelmed Idrinne, who was at the level of a 9-Star Demon King.
‘Idrinne was said to have won by a narrow margin only after overcoming multiple life-threatening crises. Unlike what is known, he might not be at the simple level of entering 9-Star.’
He was a being to be wary of in many respects.
Especially since it was impossible to guess what he would do next.
‘It’s going to be a difficult fight.’
After thinking that far, Chris let out a long sigh.
The Four Kings’ Castle wasn't the only problem.
There was the Mystic Demonic House behind them, and then the Central power.
He felt as if there was no end to it.
‘Damn it, when this is all over, I’m going to pile up mountains of Bulmongju and chug it straight from the bottle!’
To do that, there was a gateway he had to pass right now.
“We’ve arrived.”
Fwaaa.
The beautiful Demon King’s Castle and the elven army came into view.
It was the moment of the decisive battle.
***
‘They don’t look like they’ll back down easily.’
The elves’ faces were resolute.
With a spirit that showed they were willing to face death, a difficult battle was expected.
And that wasn't all.
[So the moths have come to the flame.]
Clank.
With the grating sound of chains, the Demon King of Azure Flow appeared.
She lifted a long pipe, took a deep drag, and spoke in a languid voice.
[Foolish things. There is no need to waste my breath. As you wish, I will kill you all right here.]
“!!”
At the same time.
Fwaaaaaak.
An invisible shadow felt as if it was blanketing the entire area.
She had manifested her presence into a tangible force.
The atmosphere of the battlefield grew chillingly heavy.
She had merely revealed her presence, yet they were overwhelmed.
‘This is not good.’
To reverse the atmosphere, Chris stepped forward.
“You act so composed for someone who is about to fall into Gehenna.”
[!!]
“Savor that pipe. You won’t be able to smoke in Gehenna.”
The Demon King of Azure Flow’s expression changed completely.
She glared at Christian with an intensity that could kill.
‘It was just a simple provocation, yet she’s overreacting.’
Is she feeling pressured?
Or is there another reason?
‘As I thought. What the Demon King of Azure Flow fears is definitely ‘that’.’
Chris’s gaze hardened.
Following that, the three patriarchs stepped forward.
“Do you have any intention of repenting, even now, Demon King?”
It was Nordian.
The Demon King of Azure Flow let out a sneer.
[What an amusing thing to say.]
“It was just something to say. Whether you apologize or not, we will be taking your head today.”
Nordian raised his hand.
A ghastly darkness formed, and a powerful aura surged from the bodies of the other patriarchs as well.
Just as the battle was about to begin, the Demon King of Azure Flow gestured with the hand holding her pipe.
[Fine. First, I will kill the three of you.]
An energy of verdure enveloped the three patriarchs, and then, a sudden change occurred.
Fwaaaat!
The three patriarchs, along with the Demon King of Azure Flow, had vanished.
“Patriarch!!!”
“What happened?”
Chris frowned.
‘She used Genesis Advent to move the three patriarchs into her own domain. Her plan is to isolate and deal with them first.’
It was a brilliant move.
The three patriarchs alone could not handle the Demon King of Azure Flow.
They would be killed one by one.
And if all three patriarchs were defeated, the remaining forces could never hope to defeat her.
‘I have to go save them before they are defeated.’
Although she had isolated them with Genesis Advent, it wasn't as if there was no way to break in.
The problem was the elves.
He had to deal with the elves first before he could go and save the patriarchs.
‘It’s a race against time.’
The outcome of the battle would be decided by whether he could suppress the elves before the patriarchs ran out of time, or conversely, if the Demon King of Azure Flow would annihilate the patriarchs first.
‘It’s more than possible.’
It was a curious statement.
The elven army was by no means an easy opponent, so how could he claim to be able to suppress them so easily?
‘It would have been difficult for my past self. But now, it is more than possible.’
Chris looked inward at himself.
The ‘authority’ he had obtained upon reaching the level of an Elder.
With this authority, he could turn the tide of this battle completely.
However, a strange event occurred.
Fwaaaaaat!
Suddenly, a sinister energy erupted from the empty air.
It was a blood-red energy.
‘What is this?’
It wasn't an energy fired by the elves.
‘This feeling is somewhat familiar.’
The blood-red energy flew straight toward Christian.
Chris raised his magical energy.
‘This much should be…’
However.
‘It’s not an attack?’
The blood-red energy passed straight through Chris's magical defenses and enveloped his body.
And then.
Whoosh.
The world where Chris stood changed.
It was a desolate, gray space reminiscent of Gehenna.
‘A forced summoning? By whom?’
It was an ability that forcibly summoned a targeted opponent into one's own space, just as the Demon King of Azure Flow had done to the three patriarchs.
This wasn't an authority that just anyone could possess.
“Ah, it’s been a while.”
“!!”
A familiar.
A chilling voice.
Sherad gave Chris a sticky smile.
“I missed you.”
All while exuding an energy that had reached 8-Star.
***
Meanwhile, at that moment.
On a ridge overlooking the Demon King's Castle.
[Meow.]
A black cat was yawning, but the surrounding scenery was strange.
Not even the chirping of insects could be heard.
It was as if everything was holding its breath in the cat's presence.
[What are you doing here?]
A young man with fiery red hair appeared and frowned at the cat.
[For someone who is the Magus Chancellor, to be slacking off again.]
A surprising statement.
It meant that the cat's identity was the Magus Chancellor.
The cat, the Magus Chancellor, smiled like a person and opened its mouth.
[Ah, Reddy, you're here?]
The young man replied coldly.
[I have the epithet ‘Red River’.]
Another surprising revelation.
The epithet Red River referred to only one person.
It meant the young man’s identity was the 4th-ranked power in the empire, the Grand General of the Magus Army, the Demon King of Red River!